


Crimson Bloom

by Rekko



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:55:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24137728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rekko/pseuds/Rekko
Summary: Edelgard Hresvelg carries the weight of countless lives on her shoulders. She is prepared for the sacrifices she must make to free humanity from both the crest-system that oppresses the people of Fodlan and combat Those Who Slither In The Dark that have made her into a hostage and a weapon.The Empress was prepared to walk this path alone, but she could not have foreseen a mercenary willing to reach out her hand.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Bernadetta von Varley, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra, Lysithea von Ordelia/Leonie Pinelli, Sylvain Jose Gautier/Mercedes von Martritz
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	Crimson Bloom

_El was laying down upon a cold wooden table, and her hands were bound by rusted metal clamps.  
  
"Let me go! Stop!" El cried. She didn't understand what was happening to her. Why had she been locked in a rat-infested cell for 2 months? Why did her siblings always return scarred and bloodied before dying right in front of her? What happened to the ones that didn't return? And most of all... Why has the goddess not saved them yet?  
  
"Please calm down Edelgard, we're doing this all for you," A man said as he stood beside El. "Don't worry, your dear uncle Arundel will watch over you as we proceed with our tests. The pain you will feel will be nothing more than a bug-bite once we're done."  
  
El looked to her side, and her eyes widened as she saw the blood-dried corpses of Agnes and Maximilian that had been thrown the wall like worn out dolls. Blood, slits and cuts covered their entire bodies, Maximilian's eyes were shot out like a madman while Agnes' dead mien was filled with hopelessness. El had thought the tears for her siblings were dried out until more came pouring out of her eyes. It wasn't until a large rat had crawled out of Maximilian's mouth that El began to melt down and struggle against her binds.   
  
"N-No! Get away from me! I want my father! I want my real uncle!" El cried. The masked dark mages were about to hold down El before Arundel halted them with a raise of his hand.  
  
"Your real uncle? What do you mean dear Edelgard? I'm right here in the flesh. You mustn't worry for your siblings; you will meet a greater fate then those worthless husks. These grueling trials have all been for your sake, I swear it," Arundel said with a soft smile, the same one he had when he gifted El with a stuffed teddy bear for her birthday.  
  
El's stream of tears began to cease, and she began to calm down. Even now she still had a little bit of hope, perhaps her uncle was right? Perhaps this would be different... Maybe she would be spared from the pain? El hated herself for this hope, the hope she would be spared, the hope she would be the last as her siblings' prayers for safety went unanswered.  
  
"Now wasn't that easy? Your cooperation will surely be rewarded Edelgard."  
  
The hope in El's eyes faded away as she processed what Arundel said, what Arundel called her. "He calls me El..."   
  
"Pardon?" Arundel asked, not sure if he had heard El right.  
  
"He never called me Edelgard..." El's sorrow returned, now with a mix of furious eyes and furrowed brows. "HE CALLS ME EL!!!" El exclaimed as she began to melt down as try her hardest to free her wrists and ankles from their binds. The black mages held her legs and shoulders in place as she still tried and failed to struggle.  
  
"Hmph... Perceptive," Arundel said with a sinister chuckle. He couldn't believe he had missed such a minor, yet crucial detail, however it was only a minor inconvenience for the moment. "Well in the end it's quite trivial."  
  
"It will matter not what he called you... Because once this is all over, **El** will be no more..." Arundel said as a dark mage gripped her arm and held a knife hovered over her skin.  
  
El's skin crawled, fear overtook all other emotions. El couldn't take her eyes off the knife as it searched for just the right vein. "Goddess... Save me..." Edelgard pleaded, only to be followed by cries of excruciating pain.  
_

* * *

_  
  
_

  
"S-Save... Me..."  
  
"Lady Edelgard!"  
  
"AH!!!" Edelgard jolted up, her eyes darted around to find out where she was. She saw that instead of a rat-infested dungeon she was inside a living quarter of some sort. Shifting her body, she was sitting upon a soft mattress instead of the hard-wooden table she was on a moment ago.  
  
"Lady Edelgard? Are you alright?" A voice spoke from beyond the door. She recognized the voice as that of her retainer, Hubert. "The dining hall has opened for breakfast, I would advise we head there before new arrivals begin to fill the dorm hall."  
  
"I'll be right there Hubert, just allow me a moment to get changed," Edelgard said as she managed to regain her composure. She remembered; she had just arrived in Garreg Mach Monastery the night prior. Edelgard cursed herself for not having her head on straight before proceeding to change from her night gown to her academy uniform. She couldn't help but stop in the middle of changing when she noticed her horrifically scarred arm; shown in the mirror before her were those same scars scattered all over her body aside from beyond her wrists, neck, and ankles. Edelgard took a moment to close her eyes and hug herself, taking a long, deep breath. Will her mind ever stop replaying the deaths? Otto, Agnes, Maximillian, Adelaide, etc... But the most tragic death of all, was that of the innocent; sweet child named El.  
  
"No one else will suffer this fate... I'll make sure of it..."  
  
"Lady Edelgard?"  
  
"Wait just a moment Hubert!" Edelgard replied. After getting herself dressed in uniform she exited her room and was now face to face with her retainer. "Apologies Hubert. It would seem last night's travels had drained more from me than expected," Edelgard said, though in truth it was her nightmares that forbade her from having a peaceful slumber.  
  
"I should be the one apologizing Lady Edelgard, I should have given some more time to rest before waking you."  
  
"You have nothing to apologize for, I asked you to wake me up early if you could, and I'm glad you've done so." Edelgard said.  
  
She and Hubert made their exit as more students began to enter the hall. Suitcases littered the hall as students searched for their assigned rooms. It was currently the Great Tree Moon, and it wouldn't be until next month that classes would properly start. This was done so that the students whom had surely traveled a long way would be able to rest and adjust to their new environment.   
  
"What!? No that doesn't go there, the necklaces should be in the second drawer not the first!" A girl with pink hair exclaimed as she lazily lied back on her bed.  
  
"Of course lady Goneril! But then where do you want the bracelets?" The servant asked.  
  
"Over there, duh." Hilda said, pointing somewhere that the servant couldn't identify.  
  
"Umm... could you perhaps show me?"  
  
"Uuuuuuuugh, I can't, my legs are too sore."  
  
Edelgard couldn't help but disappointed by the girl's laziness as she passed by, glad that the commoners of the first floor didn't have to witness such an offensive sight. Edelgard couldn't imagine a world where she treated Hubert or the imperial palace's many servants with such disrespect.  
  
"Thanks for helping me with my luggage Felix," A girl with blonde hair said to a man with black hair tied in a ponytail.  
  
"It didn't take too much time. The boar was occupying the training grounds so I decided I'd rather be here."  
  
"Felix, you know you will need to stop referring to his highness as a boar. I don't know what happened between you two, but now that we're in the Officer's Academy, you're going to need to show more respect," Ingrid said with a sorrowful yet stern mien.  
  
"A boar?" Hubert said with a small chuckle. "Considering the Kingdom's culture, I wouldn't be surprised."  
  
"Still, for a prince to be described as such is concerning," Edelgard said. She hoped that Felix's words were nothing more than hyperbole provoked by a trivial dispute, but the Flame Emperor was used to preparing for the worst.  
  
Edelgard and Hubert descended the stairs and made their way to the dining hall. It was mostly occupied by the monastery staff and the Knights of Seiros, but there were still a few handfuls of students enjoying a nice breakfast.   
  
"Alright Hubert, as the heads of the Black Eagle house this is an opportune moment for us to acquaint ourselves with our fellow classmates." Edelgard said after Hubert and her had been served triple stacked pancakes, the imperial princess' plate having extra syrup and whipped cream while the retainer carried a cup of coffee.  
  
"Of course, while you enjoy your breakfast allow me to assess our assets and liabilities." Hubert said as he scanned the occupants of the dining hall.  
  
"I see Hubert... I do hope you will at least participate in the conversation," Edelgard said with a slight, momentary frown. Hubert was only seeing his new life in the monastery as the next step for the plan, but Edelgard hoped it could also help loosen the shackles of fate at least for a little bit.  
  
"Very well, if you so desire I'll entertain the idea of socializing."  
  
Edelgard and Hubert strolled through the hall for any fellow students. They mostly saw either knights or friend groups that were already preoccupied, however they soon laid eyes upon a girl with long brown hair, green eyes and a small black cap. Edelgard and Hubert walked towards the girl, the imperial princess gave a welcoming smile while her retainer made an attempt at one.  
  
"Good morning, do you mind if we sit here?" Edelgard asked the girl.  
  
"Oh, not at all! Good morning to you as well!" The girl happily replied.  
  
Edelgard and Hubert sat down across from the girl, the retainer proceeding to take some bites from his pancake.  
  
"So, whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Dorothea asked after finishing her second pancake.  
  
"My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg."  
  
"And mine is Hubert von Vestra."  
  
"O-Oh! Mine is Dorothea Arnault." The girl said with a look of surprise. She had expected to encounter many nobles, but to be approached by the imperial princess and her retainer was the last thing she had expected, much less on the first day of arrival. "Excuse my bluntness but are you really the imperial princess?"  
  
Edelgard giggled before answering. "Indeed, but here in the Academy I am simply a student just like everyone else. Furthermore, please don't feel the need to be formal, you may simply refer to me as Edelgard."  
  
"Really?" Dorothea asked, her face maintaining surprise, but soon soothing into a slightly flirtatious smile. "In that case, do you mind if I refer to you as Edie?"  
  
"E-Edie!?" Edelgard asked, despite keeping her composure her cheeks still gave off a slight hint of pink. "Well I suppose if we will be friends from today on then it's only appropriate, but I didn't expect to receive the honor of a nickname so suddenly."  
  
Dorothea seemed pleased when Edelgard said she was honored by Dorothea's nicknames. The two newfound acquaintances proceeded to chat, the topic of their conversation mostly pertaining to Dorothea's questions about Edelgard's life as an Imperial princess. 

"Wow, that is a lot of history and geography you need to study, and all of that at age seven?" Dorothea said. The songstress had asked about what the princess's royal education was, and she was quite surprised buy just how rigorous it was. "And not to mention the combat..."  
  
"The Imperial's royal lineage are taught at a scholar's level to prepare for when they must ascend the throne. Lady Edelgard rose to the challenge sooner than anyone could have expected, and she will only reach greater heights." Hubert said, smiling at the thought of Edelgard soon achieving the fruits of her labor.   
  
Edelgard blushed once again, feeling unease at her ego being stroked. "Alright alright, I think we've talked enough about me. How about you Dorothea? What was your education like?"  
  
In a mere moment the atmosphere between the three shifted as Dorothea expressed a sorrowful mien.  
  
"Oh... Well, I've never really _had_ much of an education..." Dorothea answered as she awkwardly poked her pancake with her utensils. "I used to live in poverty... It wasn't until I was accepted into the opera company that they taught me all they knew."  
  
Edelgard was briefly taken aback by Dorothea's background. Due to the tuition fees of Garreg Mach, most commoners that were able to attend were either children whose parents owned successful businesses or were recommended by churches in their communities. Edelgard's surprise quickly turned into somber regret for assuming Dorothea was the same.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to bring down the mood with my sob story." Dorothea said, bringing back her smile in hopes of lightening up the mood.  
  
"Nonsense Dorothea, you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should apologize for being insensitive," Edelgard said, she knew full well what it was like for the darkness of the past to consume the present's light.  
  
"What? Edie you weren't being insensitive," Dorothea said with a cute chuckle. "Me being raised in poverty isn't some dark secret, it's only fair I talk about my past after digging into yours. Don't be shy, ask me anything."   
  
"Anything you say?" Thanks to Dorothea's openness Edelgard was put slightly more at ease, though she was still cautious of what she would ask of Dorothea. "Well, you mentioned something about being taken in by an opera company, can you sing?" Edelgard asked, though she internally cursed herself for that last part. Obviously she could sing, you didn't even need to notice her cap to know she was a songstress.  
  
"Can I sing?" Dorothea said with a boastful grin. "You are looking at the star diva of the Mittlefrank opera company!" Dorothea exclaimed proudly.  
  
"The Mittlefrank opera company? They are in Enbarr correct?" Edelgard said, there was something about that name that should have reminded her of something, but no bells were rung.   
  
"Yep! There's a chance you may have even witnessed yours truly on the big stage, " Dorothea said with an enthusiastic wink.  
  
"Truly amazing Dorothea, I'm sorry I can't recall your presence. I hadn't been to the opera in a long time," Edelgard said as she hid her frown behind a small smile. Her time in Fhirdiad wasn't the only memory that was shattered by the nightmares that haunted her. Many happy memories were lost and scattered like broken glass, hoping for the one trigger that just might be able to re-forge it all. The loss of her memories... The trauma... it was all the more reasons that memories she did retain, of her former siblings, of her mother and father, and the day she met Hubert; she would cherish them all like family heirlooms.  
  
"You really haven't been to the opera at all since you were little?" Dorothea asked with a curious look, but that curious look turned into a smile with a sparkle in her eyes. "In that case there is no time like the present, how about I do a little number right now?"  
  
"Wait, now?" Edelgard asked, keeping herself from looking too shocked.  
  
"Yep! I'd say a good old musical number would make for a great first morning for the students in the dining hall today!" Dorothea said as she stood up.  
  
"Wait, this is a bit su-"  
  
"I've rarely ever attended the opera, this should be an interesting experience," Hubert said as he cut-off Edelgard. Edelgard managed to slip out a rare surprised expression from Hubert's sudden permission to let Dorothea sing.  
  
Dorothea moved to the center of the dining hall, just behind Edelgard and Hubert. The songstress proceeded to give a mystifying performance for those whom dined in Garreg Mach's dining hall. Dorothea bore the voice of an angel, singing a tail of a lowly squire's journey to becoming a legendary hero, from the perspective of their mother. Dorothea's heavenly voice made the mother's emotions so vivid, from the hopes of her child's dreams coming to life to the fear of her child's peril as they fight in horrific wars. Finally, it all comes to an end as her child has finally returned to his loving mother by war's end.  
  
The dining hall applauded at the song’s resolution. Edelgard herself was surprised that her own body was so readily able to clap the hardest among the crowd. Despite her formal, pleased smile, Edelgard was truly moved by both Dorothea's outstanding performance and the tale of her song. Edelgard scanned the hall, witnessing how everyone's faces were lit up and joyful by the performance. Hardened Seiros knights, merchants from the Alliance, squires from the Kingdom, and even noble children from the Empire were all united and joyful in these cherished halls.  
  
The joy and unity of people from all walks of life took El's breath away, but agonizing guilt plagued the Flame Emperor.  
  


* * *

In the dead of night, the sounds of metal boots echoed throughout the forest as Jeralt's mercenary company marched along a dirt path between the forest and a large plain.  
  
"Man, I think this is our longest march yet," A male soldier said from the front row behind Jeralt.  
  
"Well we are running low on supplies, and we don't have enough rations for the night," A female mercenary said next to him as she fixed up her sheathe.  
  
"We're really that low?"  
  
"Yeah, that's why Jeralt wanted us up and marching as soon as we finished lunch."  
  
Both the mercenary and soldier fought against a yawn or two while fixing up their armor to be a bit more comfortable. The soldier looked up and saw that despite no showing any signs of slowing down, even Jeralt was feeling a bit tired from the march, but what intrigued the soldier more was Jeralt's daughter, Byleth Eisner. Despite her breathing indicating similar tiredness to her father, her posture was as if she was just taking a morning stroll. But even that posture displayed some slight fatigue, but with the way her face was turned to speak to her father, the soldier could see the unnaturally neutral expression on her face, and those blue eyes of hers were as blank as a literal doll. She always wore that expression, whether it be in long marches, surprise ambushes, or as she penetrates a bandit’s heart with her sword, her face always wore that same mien.  
  
"Hey, our last break was 3 hours ago right?" The soldier asked an archer beside him.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't think it really helped us recharge much," an archer answered.  
  
"C-Crazy, even with all that her face still looks like the shell of a doll," The soldier said without thinking. He couldn't help but flinch when Byleth turned her head just enough to make eye-contact with the soldier. The soldier and his adjacent mercenaries felt tense under Byleth's cold stare, what made things even more unnerving is that her dead expression made it hard to determine whether or not she heard the soldier's remark in its entirety or was only curious about a sound she rarely recognized.  
  
"You okay kid? Is there something at our rear?" Jeralt asked. Byleth turned her head back to her father as the soldier was elbowed by his adjacent mercenaries for being so blunt without thinking.  
  
"No. I thought I heard something, but it was nothing," Byleth said. In truth, Byleth had heard the soldier's comment, but she chose to keep it to herself. She was accustomed to hearing those kinds of comments from most of the mercenaries, even as comrades in arms everyone was weary of her.  
  
"Your probably just tired, we're almost at the village so we can finally get some rest and a good meal," Jeralt said as he cracked his neck.   
  
Jeralt relayed the information of their distance to Remire village to the soldiers behind him, whom carried the message to those farther back. As the soldiers continued to march Byleth heard the branches and leaves within the forest trees shuffle unnaturally. It was sporadic at first but suddenly diluted to a more subtle volume. Byleth raised her arm against Jeralt's chest to halt him and the rest of the soldiers.  
  
"Something is in the forest..." Byleth said before Jeralt could ask what was wrong.  
  
"You sure kid?" Jeralt asked as he scanned the forest, the darkness making it impossible to make anything out beyond the trees. It wasn't until a couple more seconds that Jeralt also noticed the subtle sounds of something grinding against the dirt and the shuffling of leaves. Before he could give out an order for everyone to be weary of any hostiles, two glowing eyes shown through the darkness accompanied by the deep growl of a wolf... A **Giant** wolf. "Giant wolf!" Jeralt exclaimed as he and Byleth dove out of the way from the giant wolf's lunge.  
  
"Formations!" Jeralt exclaimed as he helped his daughter up on her feet.   
  
"Maintain distance from the forest in case more wolves try to ambush us again! Those of you injured stay away from the giant wolf as well!" Byleth said, her command calm and to the point. Quickly the soldiers moved to maintain great distance from the forest and surround the wolf.   
  
"Aaaah! Help!" Byleth and Jeralt stared in surprise as the giant wolf raised one of its paws, revealing the soldier that was just behind them trapped in its grip. The soldier was abducted from the wolf's initial lunge.  
  
The wolf raised its paw towards its own mouth with the purpose of quickly biting the soldier's head off, but Jeralt managed to quickly ready a bow and shoot the wolf's wrist with an arrow. The damage from the arrow piercing its wrist forced the wolf to growl in pain and drop the soldier. As the soldier quickly ran back into formation the giant wolf howled to the night sky. The howl was so strong that the grass below recoiled as if they were suffering powerful winds. Jeralt turned around to see another giant wolf having leapt from the forest.

  
"Take care of the wolf in the field while I handle our new friend," Jeralt said. Byleth gave a nod as she took command of the soldiers dealing with the wolf in the plain while Jeralt charged in the opposite direction.  
  
"Cavaliers and lancers distract the wolf while the swordsman, grapplers and I attack its wrists!" Byleth exclaimed as she ran towards the wolf. thanks to the wolf being distracted by the lance soldiers Byleth and the swordsman were able to run towards the wolf's rear.   
  
Byleth and a few swordsmen cut open the wolf's rear paws, making the wolf growl in pain. The wolf immediately took the initiative spun around with a short hop, using the momentum to produce a powerful swipe. Byleth vaulted over the beast's arm with a flip while the other swordsmen either jumped aside or were sent flying. The wolf followed up the momentum of the swing with a back hand, but Byleth stabbed through the back of its paw and out the other side. Her boots dragged against the dirt as she stood her ground, but she then used her strength to plant her sword deep into the ground, holding the beast's paw in place. The rest of the swordsman planted the heaviest of their blades into the paw and grapplers punched the swords like hammers to a nail. The beast growled in pain and salivated as it attempted to eat the soldiers, only to be forced to keep it's chin up to avoid a dozen lances from piercing its throat.   
  
The lancers tried to get a lethal blow in, but the wolf wasn't willing to rest it's head down, it kept trying to go as high as it could so it could try to use it's free paw to smash and slay the lancers. The grapplers and swordsman were trying their best to keep the left paw grounded, but the wolf's strength was proving to be too much. Knowing she had to kill the wolf before it could free itself, Byleth ran up its left arm and quickly got onto its neck. When Byleth made to stab its neck, she was shocked to hear the sound of steel clashing against steel. The giant wolf had a collar on, one with metal shields tied onto it to protect vital points on the neck. Byleth couldn't risk the time it would take to undo the collar, so she prompted to climb up the wolf's head. The wolf knew what Byleth was trying to do and shook it's head violently so she couldn't manage to pierce its brain. Byleth used the head shakes to her advantage, using the momentum to launch herself vertically in the air, as she descended she grabbed onto it's lower lip and forced the head down onto the bed of lances held by the soldiers below.  
  
The soldiers were taken completely off guard by Byleth's improvisation, but they still dug their lances as deep into the beast as they could. The wolf quickly raised its head before the brain could be pierced. The soldier's hard grips made their lances pull out of the wolf's chin, causing an uncomfortable amount of blood to spill and squirt on them and Byleth. One soldier was continued to hold on to his lance that was stuck inside the giant wolf and was proceeded to be thrown off when the wolf violently shook its head. Before the wolf could get on its hind legs for a devastating attack, Byleth grabbed a lance and hopped onto a grappler's shoulders, using them as a spring board to throw herself against the wolf's chin and plunge into the flesh so hard the lance skewered the beast's brain.  
  
Once the wolf had fallen Byleth pulled out the lance and more blood spilled out. Despite being a fearsome beast, the feeling of its blood forming a puddle below her boots and having splattered on her face and body was nothing but unpleasant. Though it wasn't just unpleasant, but something more intense... Byleth couldn't find nor understand what the proper words for her feelings were, but she knew wanted the blood off of her as soon as she could.  
  
When Byleth turned around, she noticed the soldiers staring at her with fearful awe. The soldiers saw that same doll-like stare which remained as she fought the ferocious beast, as she harmed it with one of her unorthodox strategies, she was soiled by the beast's crimson blood. They couldn't see her desire to wash the blood away with a relaxing bath, nor how the beast's pained howls made her wish she could have given it a more painless end... All they saw was the emotionless mien of the Ashen Demon. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed Crimson Bloom!
> 
> This fic is a retelling of the Crimson Flower route that aims to expand on character interactions, arcs, themes, and more!
> 
> This fic also takes inspiration from the The Emperor and the Goddess written by Captain_Flash. I highly recommend reading their fic as well as Flash's Edelgard character analysis' on r/Edelgard.


End file.
